a large policy address on the housing and land policy, including the resumption of land acquisition and the establishment of transitional housing by the Lands Resumption Ordinance
The Secretary for Development, Mr Wong Wai-lun, said that when planning land resumption, only planning and whether land leases can be changed will not be considered. The target is to announce the priority of 160 hectares of land at the end of this year. It is expected that the remaining 290 hectares will be completed next year. Regarding the relaxation of the number of mortgage loans, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Chan, believes that the public can have multiple choices and urge the public to do their best when the property prices are still relatively high.
Priority inspection of 160 hectares of land
The policy address mentioned that the Government would actively use the Lands Resumption Ordinance to develop public housing. The Secretary for Development, Mr Wong Wai-lun, said at a press conference yesterday that he would only consider planning when reposing land, whether it could change the title deeds and so on, and would not worry about whether the landowners are big developers.
Mr Wong pointed out that the report proposed a review and resumption of 450 hectares of brownfield land for public housing or “first home” development. It will give priority to 160 hectares of land. The target is to announce the location of the site at the end of this year in order to initiate further technical assessment and re-engineering. And preparation for land resumption, it is expected to complete the inspection of the remaining 290 hectares next year. Huang Weilun pointed out that due to infrastructure constraints and the need for brownfield operations, it is unrealistic to expect 450 hectares to be used as public housing.
No intention to change the current price mechanism
Wong Wai-lun said that the use of the Lands Resumption Ordinance will cover a much higher level and speed than the present. It is described as “daring”. Mr Wong pointed out that the Government has been using the Lands Resumption Ordinance in the past but it has not been used for public housing development. In the past five years, there were only 10 public housing-related projects. Mr Wong also said that the Government had encountered the challenge of judicial review in the past. However, the Government has won the case and stressed that the Planning Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department should “check”. He also pointed out that public funds need to be used well and have no intention of changing the price mechanism for recovering agricultural land.
New advisory group members have credibility
The policy address proposes to set up a new advisory group comprising credible members of the community to advise on the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme. Huang Weilun said that the members of the concept, including scholars and those who are interested in land and housing and have no commercial interests, will not have some people who are inextricably linked with the real estate industry. The Government will go to the Legislative Council next month to explain.
Regarding the alleged government’s relaxation of the number of mortgage loans for the company, will it worry about pushing up property prices in disguise? Chen Fan responded to the reporter’s statement, “No one has a crystal ball. The government has never said when citizens should enter the market.” The people of different strata have different needs for home ownership. Some young people with stable incomes have a large burden in the first phase. They think that the relaxation of eligibility allows the public to have multiple choices. He stressed that the certification company has considered risk factors when considering raising the ceiling, emphasizing professional judgment. He also appealed to the public to take advantage of the fact that property prices are still relatively high.
Chen Fan: Buying a home must be done with strength
In addition, the policy address has proposed a substantial increase in transitional housing. Chen Fan pointed out that a large-scale “transitional housing estate” is being deployed. One of the projects is to provide 500 to 700 units in small housing estates in Kam Tin. Planning and construction needs The support of a large professional team requires the assistance of the URA, the HS and the Builders Association. Chen Fan described that in the construction of transitional housing, the government team is not only “falling into the water”, but also “immersed in the heart”, unpacking the wall for each project, and non-government agencies can also move to the new environment. Provide social services to help them adapt.